The secret to getting from here to there

After they’ve been through Boot Camp, many of our clients ask, “This is all great, but how do I get from here to there?”

The answer is simple. It starts with you.

“Darn,” you’re thinking. “I wish I could have delegated that.”

The most important success factor in any strategic initiative is good, strong leadership. It’s the one common thread that we have seen in every single organization we have ever worked with. Throughout our experience, we’ve discovered many things that leaders do to create excitement amongst their people and foster a willingness to work hard, succeed and win.

Here are some of those things.

1. To gain control, you must first learn how to give up control.

2. Have three hot buttons. Make a point of going out and asking about them everyday.

3. Be one of your own customers. Put yourself through the customer experience of doing business with you.

4. Trust your team’s improvements. Ask, “What do you need from me to get this implemented?”

5. Celebrate success. Make a big deal out of results achieved and opportunities identified – no matter how small they may seem.

6. Always ask, “What would the customer think?”

7. Reward people for doing what the process calls for (and thereby making problems visible).

8. Never try to solve a problem or develop a solution in a meeting room.

9. Take five minutes to observe, then ask an employee what would make their life easier.